Better Than Here
by ivcooler
Summary: Ever wish to be anywhere but where you are now? What if that wish actually came true?
1. Chapter 1

It all started one very normal and uneventful day in the Valley of Peace. Everywhere in the village was calm a serene, untouched by the slightest disturbance of even a single bandit. Unbeknownst to the villages inhabitants however, that was all about to drastically change. But before we can get into that we have to start from the very beginning, and interestingly enough this beginning starts it a place that should be very familiar to you, your world...

Yes, your world, your reality, your dimension, but unknown to most people sometimes dimensions crossover, and that's how it all began, this is my story of how I came to be in the world of Kung fu panda, a world very much different to my own but at the same time strikingly similar.

It was early fall and unfortunately with that season always came the thing a girl like me dreaded most of all, School. Don't get me wrong I liked school and I was a pretty good student as well, but when it came down to getting along socially with my peers my skills left much to be desired. Most people thought I was some sort of closet weirdo or lonely hermit child and did there best to keep their distance away from me, and the ones that actually did know me a little bit personally hardly knew how I was really like behind all I did to mask and hide my true feelings. You see, I was one of those people who couldn't bear to have someone see anything but the perfect little angel I had to be. So even if something did upset me, you would hardly ever note it. All this and all the bottled up feelings I could deal with though, after all I had been doing it for years now. Unfortunately though, when someone deliberately shakes this bottle of emotions up it has no choice but to explode.

It was the first day back to school and I was about to embark on the beginning of my junior high school year. Starting out the day with science class and continuing on with my junior mechanics class ( my fav class) my day seemed to be going as smooth as ever. I could not have been more wrong...

It seemed like hardly any time had passed till it was time for third period...the dreaded PE class (inward shudder). Unlike most schools our PE class had a very large number of very athletic students present. I sat patiently as our teacher quickly explained to us what we would be doing.

"Alright," shouted our teacher in a tone laced with authority.

"All the girls in one group, boys in the other. Head to the locker rooms immediately and change into your PE uniforms." He commanded as the girls when off to the right and the boys to the left.

I inwardly sighed at this point, knowing all too well about the stresses that await me in the damned room. I shut my eyes as multiple feelings I can't identify rush over me. I clench my uniform in my hands as I take a deep breath and slowly enter the room. Unfortunately for me it looks exacts the same as it did last year, like the school board would EVER bother with something so trivial as to make sure the schools facilities were up to par. The entire room looked run down and broken after its 30 some years of use. The worst part though was far more frightening than any unkept building could be, the part I feared most about this room was the fact it was exactly that an OPEN room. No curtains, no walls in between, no piracy. I literally changed as fast as I could hoping no one seen me and ran out to the gym with the rest of the girls. Moments later I heard snickering behind my back and cautiously listened on the girls words.

"Did you see that girl back there, she is SO fat, I mean how did she even get in this class I thought this was a strictly athletes only zone." A blonde girl said as she gave me a sideways sneer.

"Hey don't be so hard on her...maybe she is an athlete, I'm sure with that two ton stomach she would make an awesome competitive eater." Cackled the girl brunette friend as the others laughed hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Asked Ron one of the boys that just came into the gymnasium.

"Oh hey Ron." The blonde said coolly

"We were just talking about that girl over there" she said subtly festering over in my direction.

"She is such a fatty, she doesn't even belong in this school let alone this class...I mean seriously how is she even going to be able to participate with all that flab going on? We will have to tether her down to keep her from bounce back off the walls." She teased harshly, fulling knowing by now I was hearing every word. She sent me a downright sadistic looking grin as Ron snickered and joined in her little demented fun.

"Yeah I bet if we ever played baseball shed pass out before she even made it to the home plate just to pick up the bat!" Ron mercilessly prodded.

My head sunk into my hands as tears tricked down my face. I wanted to be anywhere but HERE...little did I know I would get my wish...


	2. Chapter 2 Long way from Home

Power surged through my entire body like never before, a tingling sensation encompassing it as a whole. For one full second I felt as if I was on top of the world. Then the agony came, all I could see was a blinding blue light as my inner existence felt as if it was literally folding in on itself. It was like being soccer punched in the gut and then have someone directly after push you face first toward the ground. After that it felt like I was floating...but not long after that I was falling, and falling HARD. It seemed like only moments until I felt my body scream as I collided with the rough hard ground of the forest floor as if I just fallen out of a two story building.

As I slowly picked myself off the ground and brushed away the twigs and dirt I had clinging to my hair, I touch my aching nose lightly only to find it was bleeding quite bad and left me with an unimaginable splitting headache. My heart pounded in my chest as I hurriedly looked around, holding my nose as I did to avoid the blood getting on my clothes. I was about to panic as I tried to take in my suddenly new surroundings. I was in some type of forest, from the looks of it...bamboo I think, of course I'm no expert. My mind and body felt sick with confusion as I realized the impossible had happened, one second I was miserable it the gym the next minute I'm in a peaceful forest. Now that I think about that it doesn't sound so bad...in fact this is the sort of place I usually imagine if I want to go to my happy place...how strange...

There were bigger fish to fry here however, one namely being how in the blue blazes I got here, how can I get back, and even more importantly WHERE is HERE? None of these questions seemed to be answering themselves, so I did want any sensible person would do, I explored and trudged on.

I walked across the forest floor in my gym outfit that consisted of some blue shorts that ran just slightly past my knees and a plain (and rather ugly in my opinion) gray top. My feet were covered by my brand new pair of slip resistant sneakers, which I mentally thanked I had been wearing instead of the flimsy sandals I was wearing before I changed moments before.

It was what seemed like hours of walking before I finally ran out of the energy or the stamina to go any further. The sun trickled down on me and sung my sweat drenched skin as if I was a vegetable getting steamed. Finally I just sat down on the ground with a plump as my completely spent figure bowed it head in exhaustion, ragged breaths escaping my parched lips.

(Note: this section takes place in "The Kung Fu Kid" episode)

I sat there for around ten minutes in complete silence, I didn't have the faintest clue where I was and I knew even less about how I got there. Suddenly though, the dead silence was broken by the faint sound of voices...and a lot of them. I knew that could only mean people, and people meant I was SAVED! And of course like an idiot I rushed toward the sound without even bothering to investigate further. I truly regretted that when I found out the true source of the voice...

As I approached the voices through the thick foliage of the forest I was very hard to make out who the belonged to. I wasn't until I was about ten feet from being out of the thick bamboo shoots that I first gazed on the truth...

They were animals, TALKING ANIMALS! My eyes dart across the scene like a mad woman and my stomach feels like it is about to fold in on itself. My palms sweat and my knees turn to jelly as I hit the ground and panicked pants escape my mouth at an unnaturally rapid rate. My heart pounds in my chest so hard I felt like elephant was stomping on my lungs. Now I now one thing for sure...I'm a LONG ways from home.


	3. Chapter 3 Oh no you didn't!

I stared at them wide eyed trying to collect what was left of my senses. I thanked God that none of them could see me right now, if they could I would have surely looked like I was about wet my pants. I took a deep breath and tried to anchor myself back to reality...'there just talking animals like in the movies...' I thought to myself as I started to calm down, but that line of reasoning backfired big time when I started mediating further 'but this is not a movie, this is REAL!' My mind screamed as I started panicking again. Taking a deep breath I forced myself to observing them, careful to keep my panicked noises to a minimum for fear of being found out.

I watched as a huge water buffalo and a rather chubby panda accompanied by what looked like a small red panda make there onto a stage like platform. The buffalo and panda seemed to be the center of attention as crowds of pigs, geese, ducks, sheep, goats, and rabbit surrounded them. They seemed to be doing so sort of celebration, but I couldn't make out quite what they were saying from this distance as I decided to venture a bit further. Now I was about only 5 feet deep in the forest, still probably pretty hard for them to spot unless they were looking real close. I was thankful that almost everyone was more than enthralled and distracted by the speaking figure of the red panda in the middle of the platform.

"Welcome everyone, to this years annual peace jubilee." He said in a peaceful manner that demanded attention.

The crowd all cheered at the small mammals words and immediately settled down as the festivities (if you could the people being bored out there mind festivities) began. It seemed like forever for me just stilling there and watching, but from the looks of what I assume we're the guests of honor, they were fairing no better than me. They were complete out of it by the time the so called "junior Kung fu matches" we're over. Despite me being I little out of shape right now just a few years ago when I was 14 I studied and practiced a bit of Kung fu, and whatever those kids were doing defiantly wasn't it. As I got a little lost in my thoughts however, I was brought back to earth (or wherever I am) only to see the most massive water buffalo kid I had ever seen appear...'if he is one of the challengers those kids are doomed' I whisper out to the air a little louder than I intended, thankfully the sound of everyone gasping at his size was enough to drown out anything I had to say.

"Hey, get that kid Peng from the next valley to fight him, he can take him." Said a random villager.

"Me? no..no way not me." A medium build snow leopard kid said questioningly.

The large water buffalo then proceeded to knock down Peng's pottery cart smashing it to the ground...


	4. Chapter 4 No Rules

I WAS INFURIATED! I couldn't believe the nerve of that coward! The guy just said he didn't want to fight, and that BASTARD had the nerve to respond by breaking this guys belongings. I felt feelings of rage I never had sore up into my being as I contemplated ripping that big bully in half right here. For a moment I felt as if my very soul was on fire, I NEVER had been as enraged as I was right now! I guess the thing that pissed me off the most is that I knew what it was like to be treated in this harsh manner and I hated it, but at least when it happened to myself I could handle it...but seeing it happen to someone else, especially someone who appeared to be as innocent as this kid...IT MADE MY BLOOD BOIL.

Before I even knew what was happening my body must have subconsciously taken over my motor functions because I was now standing in all my glory only a mere few feet from this water buffalo behemoth.

As soon as I had made myself visible all eyes were on me in a matter of seconds. Most of the villagers shot me looks of fearful curiosity, while the ones on the stage just started at me in utter disbelief and looked me over as if trying to desperately search their minds for some sort of explanation that would explain my appearance. That's when I realized that I must look as strange to them as they do to me. Despite taking a small amount of pleasure in their confusion, I was starting to get more and more uncomfortable with all the rude eyes of these animals scratching at the back of my neck, so I was the first to finally break the awkward and unbearable silence.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size BUB!" I practically screamed at the water buffalo kid, not caring that the giant was now towering over me menacingly.

"First off I'm NOT A BUB! I'm Jing Mei nephew to Temutai the great warrior king of the Qidan! Who do you think you are talking to me in that way, you really wish to challenge all of THIS pipsqueak!?" he spat gesturing to his whole enormous body like an overconfident super model.

"You talk big for someone who has to throw a childish temper tantrum to get what you want, I bet I could beat you with my eyes closed and both of my hands tied behind my back." I responded smugly.

"By a _girl_ like you? Don't make me laugh short stack, a man like me against a _**fat**_ overweight broad like you? Honestly, why don't you just run off to your mother and braid each others hair or something?" he cruelly mocked.

"Well I guess you're about to find out what this _broad_ can really do." I said darkly as the last of my resolve not to MURDER this guy faded away at the word _**fat**_.

"May I join in this kung fu contest? I asked the animals on the stage calmly getting used to the fact that I was indeed surrounded by these bipedal animals.

"Of course young one, but are you sure..." the red panda started but was cut off by me.

I'm sure, and by the way the names Dianne, Dianne Parker." I said with conviction.

I was telling the truth when I said that I wanted to do this. Many times I had been bullied at school by those cruel girls and dumb boys, but I was always deathly afraid of getting in trouble if I ever fought with them, but here I was no longer slave to the restricting rules of a school. In fact I was practically given the opportunity to punch this guys face in on a sliver platter. A gift which I gladly intended to accept...


	5. Chapter 5 Someones Watching

As I went up to the stage it seemed as if everyone's eyes were on me, most of them radiating a definite hint of worry and even pity. What was in my eyes however, was much much different...in my eyes was a piercing determination that no one who actually knew me would dare challenge...unfortunately for the Buffalo he was either too ignorant or too prideful to notice I was the only person in the entire area that didn't even look a smidgen worried...and usually when people are that confident there is a good reason for it. Before I knew it we were bowing to each other, him very reluctantly and me very cautiously in case he was low enough to try something during our bow.

Moments afterward the red panda yelled for us to begin, and this is where it started to really get fun. I could tell this guy was pretty slow based on his movements from earlier so it wasn't hard at all to block his first few less than stellar blows. He attempted to land a kick to my stomach but as he tried I sweeped my leg underneath his feet knocking him down.

He slowly got up with a pained grunt and he immediately started to wail punches at me with all he had...him being more than angry. That was his biggest mistake yet, I kept dodging his blows easily and while I was getting very little to no damage done on me he was wearing himself out fast due to his stupidity and aggression. Finally he stopped utterly exhausted and just stood there breathing heavily looking like he was about to pass out. I take one finger and poke it in the center of his chest and his whole body comes toppling down like a poorly built card house.

The whole audience was silent, and I mean dead silent...like if I would so much as drop a pen right now I could probably hear it for a good hundred yards. This silence however, was very short lived by a very lively and genuine applause. The ones that look especially impressed were the judges that sat on the stage all three of them having there jaws hang open at what they had just seen...I was able to defeat a guy more than 3 times my size and I had barely even touched him. Unbeknownst to me however they weren't the only ones considerably impressed, for in the sidelines a very familiar Villain lorus with a small skull was watching with an evil and scheming smirk.


	6. Awkward

That's right you guessed it, it was none other than Tong Fo himself...who by chance happened to be in town, it was the peace jubilee after all, so it was really the only day of the year he could actually go out and not have to worry about people trying to kill him or send him off to prison. It was refreshing to him to see so many dim witted and helpless villagers in one place, the imbeciles didn't even notice he was there, didn't recognize the quite obvious danger he presented. To busy falling asleep to the boring festivities to bother observing there surroundings for even a moment. Even the guards were too distracted to pay him any mind, frankly that was a little insulting..but I guess you should appreciate small blessings.

Tong Fo POV

Honestly I had no idea why I came to this stupid celebration in the first place...I mean come on even those incompetent croc bandits could do kung fu better than these pitiful children..I mean I suppose I could steal something while I'm here to make this trip worth my while..but my luck the Dragon Warrior would find yet another way to defeat me...if only I had someone who was actually competent working for me...then I would have destroyed that pest ages ago. Unfortunately I am beginning to conclude that no such person exists...sighs, good help is so hard to find nowadays...

Suddenly I hear a loud crash and finally actually bother looking up at the stage...and I must say it was quite a scene... There I saw a girl who appeared to be some strange type of creature I have never encountered before, and she was fighting a water buffalo who looked to be at least three times her size...and that was being very conservative. I watched in interest as she was able to continually avoid all of her larger opponents furious and somewhat sloppy punches, the force of which however could probably have punched a pig sized hole in even the thickest of barrels. I watched in awe as she continued to dodge his punches as if she were a pro, I don't even think she had even touched the guy yet. This went on for what seemed like forever until the swift female had tired the poor fellow out to the point were she knocked him over with only the use of one of her tiny fingers. She was truly amazing, and I'm not often impressed...although I couldn't help being a little worried as well...the last thing I need is another crime fighting goody goody getting in my way, the Dragon Warrior and the Five were quite enough of a problem on their own.

Dianne POV

It was about as easy as I thought it would be really. The guy was too focused on being a total angry jerk that he lashed out with only his anger and didn't think or plan anything beforehand. He literally beat himself in a sense...I mean I barely even touched the guy, his blind and ignorant anger did most of the hard work for me. I was so caught up in my own thoughts however I almost didn't notice the applause or the fact that "The Dragon Warrior" as they call him was slowly approaching me likely to congratulate me. Also since all of this happened I seemed to have forgot that I'm now in a freaking universe with talking animals. Needless to say it doesn't take too long before I start to get all nervous again and freak out.

"That was awesome! Where did you learn to do that?" The panda asked excited as everyone starred at me.

"I...uhhh...gottogetgoingnicetomeetyou!" Then like a crazed bull I ran off the stage leaving the entire audience confused and dumbfounded.


End file.
